Mexican Chile Colorado Recipe
Mexican Chile Colorado is a rich and flavorful beef stew featuring tender chunks of chuck roast simmered in a vibrant, aromatic sauce made from toasted guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. This traditional Mexican dish offers a deep, smoky, and slightly spicy flavor, perfect for serving with warm tortillas and classic sides like rice and beans.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Broth
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 cups beef broth
Chiles and Sauce
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 dried pasilla chile, stem and seeds removed
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
Other Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Chiles: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Lightly toast the guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl, cover with hot water, and let them soak for 15–20 minutes until softened.
- Make the Chile Sauce: Drain the softened chiles and place them in a blender. Add garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend until completely smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove skins and seeds for a silky texture.
- Brown the Beef: Pat the beef cubes dry and season generously with salt and pepper. In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches until browned on all sides. Remove the browned beef and set aside.
- Cook the Sauce: In the same pot, pour in the chile sauce. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens slightly and deepens in color.
- Simmer the Stew: Return the seared beef to the pot. Pour in the remaining beef broth and stir well. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the stew simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce is rich and flavorful.
- Serve and Enjoy: Ladle the Chile Colorado into bowls. Serve with warm tortillas, Mexican rice, and beans for a complete meal. Garnish with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and diced onions if desired.
Notes
- Ensure to remove stems and seeds from the dried chiles to avoid bitterness.
- Toasting the chiles lightly enhances their flavor but take care not to burn them.
- Straining the sauce yields a smooth and silky texture, eliminating any tough skins or seeds.
- Use beef chuck roast for its marbling and tenderness after slow cooking.
- Simmer the stew slowly for tender, flavorful beef.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as flavors meld.
Keywords: Mexican Chile Colorado, beef stew, guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, pasilla chiles, traditional Mexican recipe, slow simmered beef
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